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Super Smash Brothers Brawl set quite a benchmark when it comes to flexibility of control. Nearly every controller that can be plugged into the Wii was supported by the title, and almost all of the options played equally well in capable hands. Unfortunately, Mario Kart Wii won't enjoy the same luxury: a fact sheet sent out by the company reveals that not all of the control schemes are made equal in the upcoming racer.

As the game includes a pack-in plastic wheel accessory, the standalone Wii remote control scheme is given precedence. However, players do have the option to play with a classic controller or a Gamecube controller but the convenience comes at a cost. From the fact sheet:

Classic Controller: Mario Kart veterans can let their thumbs do the driving with the Classic Controller. However, players cannot perform certain moves with this control scheme.

Nintendo GameCube™ Controller: Experienced Mario Kart fans may also enjoy this familiar scheme, although some maneuvers cannot be performed.

It's not exactly clear which "maneuvers" that players lose out on, so it's hard to say exactly how detrimental this will be to the general gameplay. We'll be sure to explore this in the full review following the game's Wii-exclusive launch on April 28.